By hydrolyzing a sulfonic acid ester or a nitric acid ester of an optically active 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone, the steric inversion of the hydroxyl group at the 4-position of the cyclopentenone mentioned above is effected.4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone is useful as a raw material of prostaglandins (natural substance is an (R)-substance) having stimulative action to uterine muscle and vasodilator action. For instance, 4(S)-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone can be configurationally inverted to R-isomer. Accordingly, this method is extremely meaningful in the synthesis of prostaglandins.